In Sunday’s (5/30) Denver Post, Kyle MacMillan writes, “Because of the iconic status of Antonio Vivaldi’s ‘The Four Seasons,’ a major new work that draws on it for inspiration is bound to draw attention … That’s certainly been the case with Philip Glass’ boldly titled Violin Concerto No. 2, ‘The American Four Seasons,’ which will receive its U.S. premiere July 22 at the Aspen Music Festival.” Violinist Robert McDuffie, an Aspen alumnus, will take the solo role in the Glass work, performing with an ensemble of students. “Unlike the original ‘Four Seasons,’ which is a set of four three-movement concertos, Glass’ 37-minute work has just four movements. It keeps Vivaldi’s orchestration, but, in a nod to modernity, it replaces the harpsichord with a synthesizer.” The article goes on to preview multiple performances at several of the region’s classical-music festivals this summer.
Posted June 3, 2010
